State officials to discuss problems that led to Bridgewater prison break

Maria Papadopoulos

Monday

Nov 30, 2009 at 12:01 AMNov 30, 2009 at 1:53 PM

State correction system officials plan to discuss how to prevent a repeat of the walk-away prison break at the minimum security facility in town.

State correction system officials plan to discuss how to prevent a repeat of the walk-away prison break at the minimum security facility in town.

As police on Sunday continued to search for Manson Brown, 51, who walked away from Old Colony Correctional Center on Friday, Christopher Fallon, spokesman for the Massachusetts Department of Correction, said he expected there would be “much discussion” of possible changes on Monday.

“There haven’t been any changes. I expect that there is going to be discussion on, ‘Is there anything that we would change?’” he said. “I’m sure that we’ll look at all the things that we did as far as response. Anytime something like this happens, we’ll review what we did.”

Brown was convicted in 2005 of home invasion and armed robbery and was serving a 10-year sentence. He would have been eligible for parole and release in October 2012.

Last week, Brown was indicted by the Middlesex County grand jury for a 1996 Cambridge home invasion and rape. The indictment was made possible by a match of Brown’s DNA, which was obtained following his 2005 conviction.

The Department of Correction believes Brown may have heard about the new indictments through the media before it could reclassify his status.

Officials from DOC and the district attorney’s office met Saturday to review the facts surrounding the incident, and identified the problem regarding notification.

Fallon says that when Brown is caught, he will be remanded to higher custody status and, if convicted, his sentence could be extended.

‘Normal’ progression through security levels

Brown, 51, was in a minimum security area of the prison, which has a fence and a gate. He was not present for an hourly prisoner count at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, Fallon said. He was last seen at the facility at 5:40 p.m. that day.

“We’re not thinking that he jumped the fence. We’re presuming that he walked out the gate, so it was a walk away,” said Fallon.

According to the state, Brown also had a “walk-away” from prison in 1983 and another one sometime in the early 1990s.

The Department of Correction has four levels of security: maximum, medium, minimum and pre-release, where inmates are allowed as they prepare for their transition back into the community, Fallon said. The Bridgewater prison houses medium and minimum security units.

Brown spent 15 months in a maximum security setting before being classified as medium security risk and transferred to the Bridgewater prison.

He was housed in the facility’s medium security area until July 2009, when he was reclassified as a minimum security inmate and transferred to a minimum security unit.

Brown’s progression through the security levels is considered normal, according to the Department of Corrections.

Search continues

On Sunday, state and local authorities continued their search for Brown with foot and vehicle patrols. The Massachusetts Department of Correction’s Fugitive Apprehension Unit and Bridgewater Police Department set up checkpoints and roving patrols throughout town over the weekend. Additional K-9 teams and manpower were brought in to police the area.

Saturday afternoon, a helicopter was used to fly over the complex and the surrounding area.

Authorities have been searching areas near the prison, as well as local businesses and homes, Lt. Christopher Delmonte said Sunday.

“It’s an extraordinarily large area to cover. The terrain, the environment and the weather have made it more difficult the last few days,” Delmonte said.

News of Brown’s escape prompted an “overwhelming” number of 911 calls to Bridgewater police over the weekend, Delmonte said. Most residents called police after the prison sirens were sounded between 8 p.m. and 9 p.m. on Friday to alert neighbors, he said. The Plymouth County Sheriff’s Department also sent out a reverse 911 call to all Bridgewater residents.

Brown is described as a black man, 5-foot, 8-inches tall, weighing 145 pounds. He was last seen wearing gray sweatpants, a white T-shirt, and a blue denim coat issued by the Massachusetts Department of Correction. On Sunday, the DOC said they have “credible evidence” that he may also be wearing a plain black nylon windbreaker jacket. His last known address was Mattapan.

Police are asking anyone who sees someone fitting Brown’s description to call 911 immediately, and not confront the man or imply that you are suspicious. Area residents can also call the Department of Correction duty station at 508-668-2760.

“We’re concerned about this individual and obviously we’re very interested in getting him back into custody,” Delmonte said.

Maria Papadopoulos can be reached at mpapadopoulos@enterprisenews.com.

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